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Egypt Independent
Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa issued a fatwa on Thursday, stating that it is permissible for Muslims to give Zakat (religiously mandated charitable donations) to non-Muslims.
The Zakat will help those who need treatment or preventative measures to fight off coronavirus infection and other diseases.
The Quranic verse on Zakat does not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims, Dar al-Iftaa stated.
The fatwa is also in line with the behaviour of Umar Ibn al-Khattab, one of the Prophet Mohammad’s companions, who used to give Zakat to meet the needs of non-Muslims under his rule, the statement added.
When leprosy hit citizens under Umar ibn al-Khattab, he used zakat funds to treat non-Muslims during the pandemic, according to the statement.
Dar al-Iftaa noted that other Muslim scholars have also approved giving Zakat to non-Muslims.
According to Dar al-Iftaa, even the 12th century Persian scholar Imam al-Razi said in his explanation of the Quranic verse on Zakat that the verse mentioned that Zakat should be directed to “the poor and the indigent” in general, without limiting it to Muslims.
The Quranic verse on zakat reads: “Indeed, [prescribed] charitable offerings are only [to be given] to the poor and the indigent, and to those who work on [administering] it, and to those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to [free] those in bondage, and to the debt-ridden, and for the cause of God, and to the wayfarer. [This is] an obligation from God. And God is all-knowing, all-wise.”
Dar al-Iftaa noted that Islam promotes cooperation, coexistence, and good treatment for the people of other religions and established the principle of citizenship based on synergy and cooperation without discrimination in rights and duties against non-Muslims.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm.
